Tragedy at Oikos University: The 2012 Mass Shooting

The Incident

On the morning of April 2, 2012, a somber quiet enveloped the campus of Oikos University, a Korean Christian college nestled in Oakland, California. This calm was shattered at approximately 10:30 a.m. when the unthinkable occurred—a mass shooting, the deadliest in Oakland's history. The assailant, armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and four loaded 10-round magazines, unleashed terror within a nursing classroom.

The shooter, later identified as One L. Goh, a former student, stood up amidst the session, demanding that his classmates line up against the wall. "Get in line... I'm going to kill you all!" he reportedly declared before firing. In the ensuing chaos, six students and a receptionist lost their lives, while three others sustained injuries. After expending most of his 40 bullets, Goh fled, commandeering a car from one of his victims. Hours later, he surrendered at a Safeway supermarket in Alameda, about five miles away from the scene of the crime.

The Perpetrator

One L. Goh, born Su Nam Ko on November 18, 1968, in Seoul, South Korea, was a 43-year-old former nursing student at Oikos University. Having immigrated to the United States as a young boy, following his parents and two older brothers, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000. Goh's upbringing took him from Springfield, Virginia, to rural Hayes, Virginia, where he accumulated minor traffic citations and debts. In 2002, he legally changed his name, believing his birth name sounded feminine.

Goh's life was marked by personal tragedies. His brother, Su-Wan Ko, an Army non-commissioned officer, died in a car accident in 2011, and his mother, Oak-Chul Kim, passed away in Seoul shortly after. These events compounded Goh's troubles, which included disciplinary issues at Oikos University, leading to his expulsion a few months before the shooting. He harbored resentment towards the administration, particularly after Ellen Cervellon, an administrator, denied his request for a tuition refund. Police Chief Howard Jordan indicated that this anger fueled Goh's violent actions. Goh reportedly felt disrespected and ostracized by his peers, exacerbating his grievances.

The Aftermath and Legal Proceedings

Following his arrest, Goh was arraigned on April 4, 2012, facing seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. He did not enter a plea initially, expressing apologies for the massacre but claiming memory lapses regarding the day's events. In custody, he struggled with his mental health, refusing food and losing significant weight.

During a subsequent court appearance, Goh pleaded not guilty. His public defender, David Klaus, highlighted Goh's mental health struggles, suggesting he was unfit for trial. On October 1, Judge Carrie Panetta suspended proceedings for a competency evaluation, revealing that Goh had paranoid schizophrenia for over a decade. This diagnosis led to his confinement in a mental institution, with regular reviews of his competency.

Despite being indicted by a grand jury in 2014, Goh remained mentally unfit for trial. In May 2017, he entered a no-contest plea, receiving seven consecutive life sentences plus 271 years, with no possibility of parole. On March 20, 2019, Goh passed away in custody at California State Prison-Sacramento. The cause of death remains undisclosed by the coroner's office.

The Victims

The attack claimed the lives of seven individuals:

• Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, 38
• Doris Chibuko, 40
• Sonam Choedon, 33
• Grace Eunhae Kim, 23
• Katleen Ping, 24
• Judith Seymour, 53
• Lydia Sim, 21

Three others sustained injuries during the tragic event.

Sources

For more detailed information, visit the Wikipedia page on One L. Goh.